Celine Dion continues:
The 56-year-old Grammy Award winner made her highly anticipated return to music on Friday with a performance that closed the 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in Paris. Atop the iconic Eiffel Tower, emblazoned with the Olympic rings, the French-Canadian singer sang Edith Piaf’s “Hymne d’amour” for the world to hear after the Olympic cauldron was lit.
Wearing a glittering, tassel-trimmed, floor-length Dior gown, Dion, accompanied by a pianist, gave a powerful rendition of the song, which was first recorded in 1950. The performance marked the legendary musician’s first performance of the ballad “The Power of the Dream” in nearly three decades, since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
According to Reuters, this was the legendary “My Heart Will Go On” singer’s first performance since March 2020, when she canceled dates on her 2022 Courage World Tour after postponements due to COVID-19 and health issues.
Later that year, she revealed in an emotional Instagram video that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle spasms.
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The spasms affect her daily life, sometimes causing seizures and difficulty speaking, the songstress detailed in the recently released documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.” Dion revealed that her daily routine to combat the effects of the disease involves “exercise, physical and vocal therapy” five days a week.
Opening ceremonies artistic director Thomas Jolley explained why Dion was the perfect choice to close the evening.
“There is a love anthem at the ceremony, which is ‘A Love Anthem,’ and we all wanted to end with that song. The initial idea was very simple and clear: we wanted the best singer to sing about love, and that was Celine Dion,” Jolie told Reuters. “It was only natural to have her sing at the end of the ceremony.”
Kelly Clarkson was ‘trying to stay calm’ during Celine Dion’s performance
Dion has previously vowed to return to the stage despite battling health issues. During an interview with the Today Show in June, she said, “Even if I have to crawl, even if I have to talk with my hands, I’m going to get back on stage. I will.”
She added: “For the first time, my voice will be heard, not because I have to or because I need to, but because I want to. And I miss that.”
Kelly Clarkson was at a loss for words when host Peyton Manning first asked her about Dion’s performance during NBC’s opening ceremony coverage. After the break, she regained her composure and shared her reaction.
“I was inspired, I was dancing, and I just wasn’t prepared for the outcome,” Clarkson said. “If you know anything about Celine right now, she feels this is her calling. And if you know anything about what she’s going through right now… I’m so sorry and I’m trying to hang in there now. But she got through it, and it was amazing. In my field, she’s a gold medal winner as a vocalist.”
Dion’s performance was widely praised on social media. The song has a connection to sports: Piaf dedicated it to the love of her life, French boxer Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash in 1949 while traveling from France to New York to meet her.
Lady Gaga also sang in French during the ceremony, but Dion had an advantage in singing Edith Piaf because French is her native language.
Celebrities from the 2024 Olympics:Rosalia and Jeremy Allen White, Lady Gaga, etc.
How is Celine Dion’s health?
Dion revealed that she was first diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in December 2022. According to the Cleveland Clinic, stiff-person syndrome causes “muscle stiffness and painful muscle spasms” and can make it difficult to walk.
In a video announcing her diagnosis in 2022, Dion said the condition “affects every aspect of my daily life, from making it difficult for me to walk to not being able to use my vocal cords to sing as I normally would.”
“I miss you all so much and can’t wait to get onstage and talk to you all in person,” she said at the time.
Celine DionA tearful documentary debut as she battles stiff neck syndrome: “My Love Letter”
Celine Dion made several public appearances in 2024.
In February, Dion made a surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards amid her battle with health issues and received a standing ovation from the crowd. She came onstage to “The Power of Love” by Taylor Swift, with the crowd singing along, before she presented Swift with the Grammy for Album of the Year.
In June, Dion made a rare public appearance at the New York premiere of “I Am: Celine Dion,” a graphic documentary about her struggles with health issues.
“This is by far the biggest audience I’ve had in years,” she said at the premiere, where she received multiple standing ovations.
“Your presence on my journey has been an immeasurable gift. Your endless love and support over the years has led me to this moment.”
Dion told French Vogue in April that she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to return to the stage.
“My body will tell me,” she said. “On the other hand, I’m not going to just wait around. It’s morally hard to live day to day. It’s hard. I’m working hard, but tomorrow will be harder. Tomorrow is another day. But there’s one thing that never stops: it’s the will. It’s the passion. It’s the dream. It’s the determination.”
Contributor: Patrick Ryan
